Weird Roamio Pro Problem

OK, here is the deal. I got a new Roamio Pro last week, because I wanted the 6 tuners (among the other things offered). Got an M-Card (Motorola) from COX Cable in Hampton Roads. I fire the baby up, call COX Cable and get the tuner adapter married to the M-Card, and all is well. I got all of my channels just fine.

Next, I tried to test record some shows. After getting the TIVO to record the second show, now I get this error on ALL of the other channels: "This channel is temporarily unavailable. Press Select to try tuning to the channel again. Contact your cable provider for more information". No amount of Selecting got those channels back, but a reboot of the TIVO fixes it.

So I chatted online with the TIVO support. After about 90 minutes, we determined that the (outdated) M-Card had older firmware and only supported 2 'streams' and that I should get another, more updated M-Card. I did some homework first, searching the forums here, and I temporarily reduced my tuners to three (the third tuner still knocks out all of the other channels, though. I don't know how to get the Roamio down temporarily to two tuners).

Today I went to two different COX Solution Stores to ask for an updated M-Card that would handle 6 tuners. Both store personnel said they had none, and didn't even know if was possible to update the M-Card firmware, or when any updated M-Cards will ever be in. That was understandable, as the TIVO Roamio is new to them. HOWEVER, in the corner of each store was THEIR DVR box, supporting 6 tuners. It was run by a Cisco M-Card, which I think would work in the Roamio Pro. But they refused to let me have one of those M-Cards.

So I am stuck with a disabled Roamio Pro, little better than my Tivo Premier.

My question to the forum is this: Is there any other way to get a correctly updated M-Card other than through the cable provider? Or am I stuck to a new M-Card arrives in town, whenever?

They are required by law to provide you with a 6 tuner card if they also offer a DVR of their own that supports 6 tuners. And even the minimum allowed by the law, if they don't offer a 6 tuner DVR of their own, is 4 tuners. So a 2 tuner card is completely unacceptable.

To install an M card into my new TiVo Roamio Pro. The technician called ahead of time to inform me that if I pay for Premium movie channels, I will have access to NONE of them. Are you kidding me? I pay for ALL of them! I'm going to let him install with the hopes that they get this fixed QUICK. But seriously?

That's not true! The whole point of CableCARDs is that they allow a store bought devices, like a TiVo, access encrypted channels. The only thing you wont be able to access if VOD.

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Yes. I know I won't have VOD which is why I also have a Cox DVR but this tech is telling me that they just had a meeting a few days ago to discuss this problem with all their techs and they are telling customers. Perhaps they just don't know the right card to use and any special settings? I'd love to share with this tech any insight you have. Reading other posts in a thread just for Cox users and I'm thoroughly confused

There is no way for them to prevent you from getting your premium channels. If they're encrypted the CableCARD will decrypt them. If they use SDV then they are required to provide a device called a tuning adapter. And if they've switched to H.264 encoding the Roamio will handle that just fine.

If you can't get your premium channels after your visit then he did something wrong and you need to insist that they fix it.